3 min readNew DelhiMay 15, 2026 07:00 PM IST
Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani gave audiences one of the most talked-about beauty trends of recent years, with Alia Bhatt’s character Rani becoming a style icon for her soft glam makeup, glowing skin and expressive smokey eyes, donning chiffon sarees. Now, celebrity makeup artist Mickey Contractor has revealed the surprising secret behind the look.
In an interview with content creator Masoom Minawala, he shared that he deliberately chose a minimal makeup look for Bhatt’s appearance in the romantic drama, and she wore no foundation throughout the film.
“If I tell you this, you will not believe me, but in Rocky Aur Rani, Alia did not wear any foundation,” the makeup mogul said. “When I suggested this, she was okay with it. But Karan freaked out a little bit to say, ‘Listen, bro. I’m making a glamorous film, what are you saying!’”
The makeup artist explained that he convinced Karan Johar after conducting a look test. “I said, ‘Let me just do the look test with you and then if you don’t like it, we’ll change it.’ But he went with it,” he shared.
Contractor added that Bhatt herself was surprised by the outcome. “She said, ‘I didn’t know that I could go on camera without foundation and still look glamorous.’” Instead of heavy base makeup, he focused on skin preparation, under-eye concealer, smokey eyes, and glowing cream-based cheek products. “Those eyes did the rest,” he said.
Praising Alia Bhatt’s skin, he added, “She has great skin. We used to just prep the skin and just do concealer, and her makeup used to take 20-25 minutes. Makeup doesn’t have to take that much time.”
Watch here:
An expert has shared insights on how heavy makeup looks affects the skin. Dr Meenu Malik, Consultant, Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, Aakash Healthcare, shared that heavy makeup layers can clog pores, making the skin look dull and triggering breakouts.
Story continues below this ad
“Wearing too much makeup, especially if you do not remove it properly, can clog your pores, trap dirt and sweat and make your skin break out or look dull. Using makeup and cleaning your skin well helps keep your skin healthy and strong. So even though “skin breathing” is not really a thing, it is still an idea to not wear too much makeup all the time,” Dr Malik said.
Alia Bhatt has been trending on Google for the past 24 hours.
